Confirmed! Goodbye, Kawamura Yuki! The Japanese men's basketball team has announced a 12-man roster.

The Japanese men's basketball team has announced its 12-man roster for the Asian Cup, as follows:

Fukan Yuki, Jacob Crystal, Typhus Hai, Kanekiri Ren, Kano Tomonari, Baba Yudai, Nishida Yudai, John Harper Jr., Hawkinson, Tominaga Keisei, Yoshii Yuya, and Kawamada Hiroya.

This lineup has an average height of 193.6 cm and an average age of 25.7 years.

Hachimura Rui has never participated in Asian events and has disagreements with the current head coach of the Japanese men's team. Watanabe Yuta is not in good physical condition, and Kawamura Yuki has signed a two-way contract with the Bulls, thus withdrawing from the Asian Cup... Consequently, all three core players of the Japanese team will be absent, but those who can come are basically here, indicating a desire to achieve something in this year's Asian Cup.

For instance, Baba Yudai and Tominaga Keisei are representing the Knicks and Pacers in this year's Summer League, but they did not secure NBA contracts, so they immediately returned to don the Japanese men's basketball jersey for the Asian Cup.

Kawamura Yuki represented the Bulls in the Summer League this year, averaging 23.9 minutes over five games, contributing 9.6 points, 2.4 rebounds, 6.6 assists, and 2.2 steals, with shooting percentages of 40.5%, 39.1%, and 81.8%. This performance earned him a two-way contract, having also secured a two-way contract from the Grizzlies last summer.

In the new season, Kawamura Yuki will wear the number 8 jersey, with a salary increased to $636,000 compared to last season, qualifying him to play for the Bulls in the 25-26 regular season.However, most of his time will still be spent in the development league.

Having signed NBA two-way contracts for two consecutive years, Kawamura Yuki's ability is beyond doubt, and he has already proven himself on the FIBA stage, averaging 13.6 points, 7.6 assists, and 2.8 steals in the 2023 World Cup, and 20.3 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 7.7 assists in last year's Paris Olympics. Therefore, his withdrawal from the Asian Cup will have a significant impact on the Japanese men's team.

But still, it’s worth noting that the current Asian Cup is quite trivial, as it is unrelated to the World Cup and the Olympics. Achieving a good ranking would be great, but a disastrous return isn't a big deal; at most, it would just be a matter of losing face.

This year's Asian Cup will take place from August 5 to 17, with the following groupings: